Staple cartridge and methods for surgical staplers

Abstract

A cartridge assembly for a surgical stapler has a first cartridge portion, a second cartridge portion, and a housing. The housing is shaped and configured to provide a fulcrum about which an anvil may pivot. Each of the first and second cartridge portions has an upper surface for engaging tissue, and a slot configured to house a staple. A proximal portion of each of the first and second cartridge portions has a guide portion having at least one of a channel or a protrusion for guiding at least a portion of an i-beam. The second cartridge portion is removably coupled to the first cartridge portion to form a channel between the first and second cartridge portion. Each of the first and second cartridge portions has a recess proximal of the fulcrum, the recess shaped and configured to receive a proximal portion of the anvil.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A cartridge assembly for a surgical stapler, comprising:
 a first cartridge portion; 
 a second cartridge portion; and 
 a housing; 
 wherein the housing includes a fulcrum about which an anvil may pivot; 
 wherein each of the first and second cartridge portions has an upper surface for engaging tissue, and a slot configured to house a staple; 
 wherein a proximal portion of the first and second cartridge portions has a guide portion for guiding at least a portion of an i-beam; 
 wherein the second cartridge portion is removably coupled to the first cartridge portion to form a channel between the first and second cartridge portion; and 
 wherein the first and second cartridge portions have respective recesses proximal of the fulcrum, the recesses configured to receive a proximal portion of the anvil. 
 
     
     
       2. The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first cartridge portion or the second cartridge portion comprises a movable member adjacent the channel, the movable member configured to be displaced by a knife translating in the channel to widen at least a portion of the channel. 
     
     
       3. The assembly of  claim 2 , wherein at least a portion of the movable member is movable into a space previously occupied by a staple pusher. 
     
     
       4. The assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the movable member is a resilient member. 
     
     
       5. The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first cartridge portion or the second cartridge portion has a flange configured to engage a flange in the housing. 
     
     
       6. The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the first cartridge portion and the second cartridge portion are removably fixed together by the housing. 
     
     
       7. The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the first cartridge portion and the second cartridge portion are removably fixed together by a cap. 
     
     
       8. The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the first cartridge portion and the second cartridge portion have respective distal portions, wherein the recess of the first cartridge portion is disposed between the distal portion of the first cartridge portion and the proximal portion of the first cartridge portion, and wherein the recess of the second cartridge portion is disposed between the distal portion of the second cartridge portion and the proximal portion of the second cartridge portion. 
     
     
       9. The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein:
 at least one of the first or second cartridge portions has an inner wall for forming the channel; and 
 the slot in the at least one of the first or second cartridge portions is configured to house a staple at a non-parallel angle to the inner wall. 
 
     
     
       10. The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first or second cartridge portions comprises a tab on a proximal end thereof, the tab configured to engage the housing to prevent the at least one of the first or second cartridge portions from lifting out of the housing. 
     
     
       11. A surgical stapler, comprising:
 the cartridge assembly of  claim 1 ; and 
 the anvil, wherein the anvil is rotatably coupled to the cartridge assembly. 
 
     
     
       12. A cartridge assembly for a surgical stapler, comprising:
 a first cartridge portion; 
 a second cartridge portion; and 
 a channel between the second cartridge portion and the first cartridge portion; 
 wherein each of the first and second cartridge portions has an upper surface for engaging tissue, and a slot configured to house a staple; 
 wherein the cartridge assembly is in a first state when the staple is housed in the slot, and is in a second state after the staple has been fired from the slot; and 
 wherein the first cartridge portion comprises a movable member that is movable to widen the channel between the first cartridge portion and the second cartridge portion when the cartridge assembly is in the second state. 
 
     
     
       13. The cartridge assembly of  claim 12 , wherein the second cartridge portion comprises a moveable member that is movable to widen the channel between the first cartridge portion and the second cartridge portion when the cartridge assembly is in the second state. 
     
     
       14. The cartridge assembly of  claim 12 , wherein the movable member is movable in a direction that is perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the channel when the cartridge assembly is in the second state. 
     
     
       15. The cartridge assembly of  claim 12 , wherein the movable member is not movable to widen the channel when the cartridge assembly is in the first state. 
     
     
       16. The cartridge assembly of  claim 12 , wherein the slot of the first cartridge portion is configured to accommodate a staple pusher, wherein the staple pusher is configured to prevent the movable member of the first cartridge portion from moving to widen the channel before the staple pusher completes a staple firing. 
     
     
       17. The cartridge assembly of  claim 12 , wherein the movable member of the first cartridge portion comprises a wall disposed between the slot and the channel. 
     
     
       18. The cartridge assembly of  claim 12 , wherein the first and second cartridge portions have respective recesses configured to receive a proximal portion of an anvil. 
     
     
       19. The cartridge assembly of  claim 12 , wherein the second cartridge portion is removably coupled to the first cartridge portion. 
     
     
       20. The cartridge assembly of  claim 12 , wherein the channel has a first width before the channel is widened by the movable member, and a second width that is larger than the first width after being widened by the movable member, wherein a knife cannot translate in the channel when the channel has the first width, and can translate in the channel when the channel has the second width.